Extractor



Feb. 19, 1952 M, BERGER 2,586,292

EXTRACTOR Filed April 12, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l Myers M Berger.

IN V EN TOR.

- W W ,4T7'0 NE).

M. M. BERGER Feb. 19, 1952 EXTRACTOR 5 Sheefns-Sheei 2 Filed April 12, 1945 @efls/ izer'qefl.

INVENTOR. by m ATTORNE),

Feb. 19, 1952 BERGER 2,586,292

EXTRACTOR Filed April 12, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 39 Maya/5M Berye I.

- INVENTOR.

A7 GENE).

Patented Feb. 19, 1952 Meyers M. Berger, Youngstown,-

bhi o, min m-to United States Hoffman Machinery corporation, New-York -N. Y., a corp'oratien of-Delaware Application April 12, 1945, serial Na. 587,961

'6 Claims.

This invention relates to an extractor and more particularly to a water extractor designed for use in laundries and similar establishments.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device capable of rapidly and emciently extracting water from laundry.

' A further object of the invention is'the provision of an extractor designed to facilitate the handling of laundry being processed thereby.

The extractor shown and described herein has been designed to increase the efficiency of water extraction from laundered articles and to effect the satisfactory water extracting operation in considerably less time than has heretofore been thought possible. The water extractor has been designed to expedite the handling of laundry by its formation which enables it to operate in combination with laundry carrying baskets and'to utilize portions of the said laundry carrying baskets in the extracting operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation with parts broken away illustrating the Water extractor (control means not shown) as installed partially in a pit.

Figure 2 is a front elevation with parts broken away illustrating the water extractor shown in Figure 1 and illustrates the hydraulic ram thereof in elevated position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation with parts broken away illustrating the water extractor and the control means associated therewith.

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in particular it will be seen that-the Water extractor consists of a vertically positioned boxlike frame ID, the lowermost portion of which is positioned in a pit ll so that the mid-section of the extractor lies on an approximate floor level l2. The box-like frame I0 is preferably formed of adequately sized structural steel channels Welded together to form a strong structure having smooth interior surfaces. The extractor may obviously be formed of steel channels positioned'adjacent to one another and welded to form a unitary structure. Such channels are illustratedas forming the sides l-3, the top 14 and the back l5- of the box-like frame ii]. -A top member i6 is disposed-beneath the top channels 14 and forms the bed of the structure. A door ll, reinforced with 'a plurality of transversely positioned angle irons i8, is hinged by means of a hinge construction [9 to the front of one of the-side channels [3 and is-ad'apted to form-a closure for the majorityof the open front of the extractor, as illustrated in Figures '1 -and "2. In Figure- 1 the door ll is shown in closed position, it being observed that a hinged latch structure'20 which is hingedto the side "of thefra-me structure I'll is so formed as to-p'rovide a plurality of keepers 2|. 'I-hes'e keepers 2i overlie the front edge of the door I! and the latchstructure 2'0 is adapted to be held in operative posi tion by a latch "arm 22 pivoted to the door Ii. It will thus be seen that-the door I! when closed; as illustrated in Fig'u're 1, forms, with the side channels 36i the structuralframe H], a sturdy and durable-construction adapted to receiveand retain the laundry'being processed therein at such timeas the extractor is operated.

Still referringto Figures ram 2, it will-be seen that the back portion of the extractor is cutaway bot-hat the top and at the bottom of the extractingcompartment, the cut away por tion at thetop providing for the positioning" of aface plate- 23 o'fa horizontally pos'itioned, hy draulicrarn 24 (see Figure 3), it being observed that" the face plate 23 of the hydraulic rain 24 forms the effective back wall of the extracting chamber. The'l'ower openingin the back wall which 'isformed beneath the back channel [5, as illustrated in Figure 3, is-of the approximate height and'size of the opening in the front of the extractor and lying beneath the lower edge of the door [1. These openings provide for the positioning of a basket 25 in operative position in the extractor. The basket 25 is provided with a bottom 26and is normally supported by "offset wheel carrying brackets21. The front and back walls of the basket 25 are provided with outturned brackets 28 which register beneath the back channels land the lower edge-of thef'ron t door ll andare sufficient to hold-the basket in the-position illustrated in the drawings.

It will be observed that the bottom 26 is loosely positioned in the basket 25' so-tha't laundry in the basket 25 onthe-botto'm 26 may be elevated by the action of a'vertically positioned,- hydraulic ram 29. The vertically positioned, hydraulic ram -29- is positioned 'within-the-pit I-| andits operating portion is provided with a face plate 30 which is adapted to engage the loose1y-positioned bottom member 26 of the basket in such a manner as to lift it and laundry thereon upwardly out of the basket 25 and into engagement with the bed l6 heretofore described. In such position, water in the laundry is forcibly extracted and the laundry compacted into a rectangular cake in the uppermost section of the extractor and immediately in front of the face plate 23 of the horizontally positioned, hydraulic ram 24.

By referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings the hydraulic actuated means utilized in energizing and controlling the vertically positioned, hydraulic ram 29 and the horizontally positioned,

hydraulic ram 24 may be seen to comprise a pair of pumps 3| and 32 mounted on the top of the extractor and adapted to be driven by suitable electric motors 33 and 34. The inlet orifices of the pumps 3| and 32 are connected by means of suitable piping 35 with a reservoir 36 which is located in the pit and which may be supported therein by shoulders formed in the pit II or otherwise supported as desired. An auxiliary reservoir 31 is connected to the reservoir 36 by means of a pipe 38. The outlet orifices of the hydraulic pumps 3| and 32 are connected with operating inlets 39 and 49 of the vertically positioned, hydraulic ram 29 and the horizontally positioned, hydraulic ram 24, respectively, by means of piping 4| and 42, which piping is provided with controlling valves 43 and 44. A branch pipe 42A in communication with the piping 42 is operatively connected with a return orifice 45 of the horizontally positioned, hydraulic ram 24 and the line 42A is controlled by means of a valve 46. A branch line MA communicates with the piping 4| and with a pressure indicating gauge 41, not shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which preferably also incorporates a pressure switch (not shown) such as is known in the art for controlling an electrical circuit, indicated at 90, energizin the motor 33. Each of the valves 43, 44 and 46 are of the type known as three-way'valves and it will be observed that they are interconnected by means of piping 48 which also communicates with the reservoir 35, and which piping forms a return line. It will be observed that the piping 48 is controlled by a normally open, automatically actuated valve 49 and, further, that the automatically actuated valve 49 is provided with an actuating arm 59 provided with a slot 50', which arm 50 is adapted to be moved by means of a cam 5| cooperative with slot 59' and formed on a depending arm 52 which is in turn attached to the face plate of the vertically positioned, hydraulic ram 29. A by-pass line 53 establishes communication between the piping 4| and the reservoir 36 and is controlled by a normally closed valve 54 which in turn is provided with a foot operated pedal 55. In operation the door ll of the water extractor is open as illustrated in Figure 2 and the basket 25, loaded with wet laundry, is wheeled into position as therein illustrated. The door H is then closed. (See Figure 1.) The motor 33 is energized which operates the hydraulic pump 3| and thereby withdraws hydraulic fluid from the reservoirs 36 and 31 by way of the piping and delivers the hydraulic fluid through the piping 4|, the valve43 to the inlet orifice 39 of the vertically positioned, hydraulic ram 29 thereby causing the same to be actuated. The face plate 30 of the hydraulic ram 29 rises up into engagement with the bottom of the bottom member 26 of the basket 25 and lifts the same and the wet laundry thereon upwardly out of the basket 25 and into very forceful engagement with the bed It in the top of the extractor. This action continues until the wet laundry is damp-dried by the forceful pressure of the hydraulic ram 29. It has been determined that pressures between 4,500 and 5,000 pounds per square inch are necessary to eflfect a suitable damp-drying operation. As this pressure is rapidly reached by the action of the hydraulic pump 3| the total time elapsing being only two or three minutes, the cut out switch incorporated in the guage and switch mechanism 41 automatically stops the motor 33 andhence the pump 3| and by adjusting the valve 43 to place the line 4| therebelow in communication with the return line 48 the hydraulic ram 29 drops downwardly away from the compressed mass of laundry and stops at the level indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings wherein it will be noted that the bottom 26 of the basket 25 is on a level slightly above the upper edges of the basket 25. This stopping action of the hydraulic ram 29 occurs due to the cooperative engagement of the cam 5| on the depending arm 52 attached to the face plate 39 of the ram 29 with the edge of the slot 50' positioned in the actuating arm 59 of the automatic valve 49 which is normally maintained in open position by spring tension and thereby causes the same to close by the cam actuated movement of arm 59 to the right, as seen in Fig. 3. The right end of arm 50 is slidingly supported by a bracket 58 secured to the side of the ram casing. As this automatic valve 49 is in the return line 48, this action instituted by the cam 5|, which in turn is actuated by the vertical hydraulic ram 29, causes the face plate 39 of the hydraulic ram 29 to stop at the desired level. In this position the door I! is opened, as is illustrated in Figure 2, and the motor 34 is energized to cause it to drive the hydraulic pump 32 and hence withdraw hydraulic fluid from the reservoir 35 by way of the tubing 35, and deliver it through the piping 42 to the valve 44 and thence to the orifice 40 of the horizontally positioned, hydraulic ram 24. When this occurs the face plate 23 of the hydraulic ram 24 moves on a horizontal axis to engage the compressed mass of damp-dried laundry now resting on the partially elevated, hydraulic ram 29 and forces the same to slide outof the front opening of the extractor and into a receptacle, it being observed that this action eliminates the necessity of handling the damp-dried laundry as the elevation of the same enables it to be dropped directly into another basket from whence it may be removed to a heated dryer for a final drying.

When this action has been completed, the hydraulic ram 24 is reversed by closing the valve 44 and opening the valve 43 to bring the pipe 42A into connection therethrough with the orifice 45 of the horizontally positioned, hydraulic rain 24. This action causes the hydraulic fluid being delivered by the pump 32 to move the face plate 23 of the ram 24 into normal position as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. When this occurs the motor 34 may be stopped and the foot pedal 55 heretofore referred to and illustrated in Figure 3 may be depressed manually which opens the by-pass from the line 4| to the reservoir 36 and the vertically positioned, hydraulic ram 29 re turns to normal position such as illustrated in Figure l. The extractor is then in position for subsequent operation as the empty basket may be withdrawn and replaced with a full one. It will be noted in connection with the preceding description of the operation of the extractor that the looselyxpositioned bottom 26 ofthe basket is lowered sufficiently when loaded beforethe push-out operation to cause it to engage the upper edge of the basket. This prevents it from being pushed out with the wetlaundry. It will also be observed by referring to Figure 2 of the drawings that horizontally positioned plates 56 are positioned at the sides of the extracting area of the extractor and vertically corrugated plates 51 are positioned immediately therebeneath. These corrugated plates 51 provide for the rapid drainage of water or other liquid, extracted from the laundry in the extractor and corrugated plates 56 provide means for assisting in retaining the compressed cake-like formation of dampdried laundry in position pending the push-out operation previously described. It is obvious that these corrugated plate structures 56 and 51 must be extremely sturdy in construction and capable of withstanding the relatively high hydraulic pressures utilized in the extracting operation. It is also obvious that a plurality of openings may be formed in these corrugated plates to facilitate the drainage of liquid therethrough.

It will thus be seen that a relatively simple yet highly efiicient extractor for laundry use has been disclosed which incorporates a number of novel constructions. The principal advantage of the extractor is in the time saving factor as compared with time factors of conventional water extractors such as centrifugal extractors commonly employed in laundries. On a pound for pound comparison basis a centrifugal exgactor will take twenty to twenty-five minutes to dampdry a given amount of wet laundry whereas the device of the invention herein disclosed will effect the same operation in two to three minutes. It is, therefore, evident that one of the extractors formed in accordance with the disclosure herein made may be advantageously employed as a replacement for a considerable number of the extractors heretofore common in the art.

It will, therefore, be seen that a substantial contribution to the art of extracting water from laundry has been made in the present invention and that the several novel features of the precise structure herein disclosed considerably expedite the extracting operation and enable relatively unskilled workmen to operate the device rapidly and efficiently.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An extractor consisting of a box-like structure having an access opening and a hinged closure therefor a bed plate positioned in the upper portion of the said extractor and a vertically positioned hydraulic ram positioned in the lower portion of the said extractor, the face plate of the said vertically positioned hydraulic ram forming the normal floor of the said extractor, and a horizontally positioned hydraulic ram, the face plate thereof forming a wall of the said extractor adjacent the bed plate thereof, the said extractor adapted to receive a receptacle containing wet laundry and so formed. as to enable the vertically positioned hydraulic ram to rise upwardly through the said receptacle thereby compressing the said laundry against the said bed of the extractor at a point above th said receptacle.

2. An extractor consisting of a box-like structure having an access opening in the front thereof and a hinged closure therefor, the said hinged closure terminating short of the bottom of the said access opening, a bed plate forming the top of the said "extractor, and a Vertically positioned hydraulic ram positioned in the-lower portion of the-' said extractor, a face plate of the said verticallypositionedhydraulic ram forming the normal floor 0f the said extractor, the upper. portion of the back wall of the said extractor being movably mounted and means for moving the said movable portion of the back wall into the said extractor-so as to push out laundry therein.

3. In an extractor the combination of a boxlike structure having an extracting chamber in the upper part thereof, an access opening in the front of said chamber, a hinged closure for the front of said chamber, a bed plate forming the top of said chamber and a vertically positioned hydraulic ram positioned in the lower portion of said extractor, the face plate of said hydraulic ram forming the normal floor of said extractor; and a basket-like receptacle adapted for positioning beneath said chamber and having a loosely positioned bottom therein, said receptacle being of a size to facilitate the upward passage of the said face plate of the hydraulic ram therethrough and into said chamber so as to lift the said bottom and carry the contents of said receptacle upwardly out of the said receptacle into said chamber and into engagement with said bed plate, and means operable after operation of the extractor to remove the said contents laterally from the chamber through the opening in the front thereof.

4. In a fluid extractor for a laundry, or thelike, the combination of a box-like structure having a bed plate forming the top thereof; a vertically operable ram normally positioned at the bottom thereof; and a wet goods receptacle adapted to be positioned therebetween, said receptacle having a removable bottom so that the bottom may be elevated by the said ram and the contents of the said receptacle forcibly engaged thereby with the said bed plate of the extractor; cooperative abutment means formed respectively on said box-like structure and said receptacle for limiting upward movement of the receptacle during the extracting operation; means for holding said ram for supporting said goods from which fluid has been extracted in an elevated position above the said receptacle; and means for discharging said goods laterally from said elevated position clear of said extractor.

5. In a fluid extractor for a laundry, or the like, the combination of a box-like structure having a bed plate forming the top thereof; a vertically operable ram normally positioned at the bottom thereof; and a wet goods receptacle adapted to be positioned therebetween, said receptacle having a removable bottom so that the bottom may be elevated by the said ram and the contents of the said receptacle forcibly engaged thereby with the said bed plate of the extractor; cooperative means formed respectively on said box-like structure and said receptacle for limiting upward movement of the receptacle during the extracting operation; means for holding said ram for supporting said goods from which fluid has been extracted in an elevated position above the said receptacle; and means for discharging said goods laterally from said elevated position clear of said extractor.

6. Laundering apparatus comprising in combination a press having a vertically disposed frame provided with side walls and an opening in one of its side walls, a wheeled clothes receiving tray movable into said frame through said opening, a vertically movable platen in said frame, said tray having a separable bottom wall for engagement from below by said platen whereby the batch of clothes and said bottom wall may be moved upwardly, and means on the side walls of said tray and engaging the: side walls of said frame to prevent upward movement of said tray side walls in said frame upon upward movement of said bottom wall and platen.

MEYERS M. BERGER.

REFERENCES CITED Number Number 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date McGowan Apr. 14, 1885 Drummond Feb. 12, 1895 Albrecht et al Aug. 31, 1897 Washington June 20, 1911 Montalto June 12, 1923 Jacobson Oct. 24, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Oct. 22, 1938 

